870 
U. S. P. R R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
Onocrotalus, W a g 1 e r. 
PELECANUS FUSCUS, Linnaeus. 
Brown Pelican. 
Pelecanus fuscus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1766, 215. —Bon. Syn. 1828, No. 352. —Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 476. —Aud. Orn. 
Biog. Ill, 1835, 376 ; V, 1839, 212.— Ib. Syn. 1839.— Ib . Birds Am. VII, 1844, 32; pi. 
ccccxxiii and ccccxxiv. 
Leptopelicanus fuscus, Reich. Syst. Av. 1850; pi. lxx. 
Onocrotalus fuscus, Bon. Cons. Av. 11, 1855, 163. 
Sp. Ch. —Head with a short occipital crest of light reddish brown ; bill greyish white, more or less dusky, and marked with 
pale carmine spots; a large pouch appended to the under mandible ; below the color is very dark ash, above hoary ; second 
primary longest ; legs stout. 
Jldult male. Head white, except on the fore part, where it is yellow ; sides of the neck adjoining the pouch white ; hind part 
of neck and lower part in front dark chestnut brown, the short crest pale reddish brown ; back and wings greyish ash, with 
dusky margins, the former color prevailing on the larger wing coverts and scapulars; primaries brownish black, secondaries 
dark ashy brown, with their outer margins greyish white ; shafts of the primaries white until near the end, when they become 
black ; tail greyish ash, with the shafts of the feathers white for one-half their length ; terminal half black ; under plumage 
dark brownish ash, with the sides of the body from the neck for its entire length, marked with narrow longitudinal white lines ; 
on the lower part of the neck is a small patch of pale yellow ; bill greyish white, tinged with brown and intermixed with spots 
of pale carmine ; the lower mandible blackish at the end, and having underneath a large pouch similar in character to that of 
the preceding species, but of a greenish black color, with the ridges formed by the wrinkles paler ; bare skin surrounding the 
eye deep blue ; iris white, the eyelids pink ; legs and feet black. 
The plumage of the fully adult female is similar in color to that of the male; the feathers of the head are rather rigid, not 
downy as in the male. 
In the young the plumage generally is of a dusky brown. 
Length of male, 56 inches ; wing, 22 ; bill, 13.50 ; tarsi, 3 ; tail, 6.50. 
Hab .—From Texas to North Carolina ; California coast. 
The brown pelican is a permanent resident of our southern coast and the shores of the Gulf 
of Mexico, also of California. Their nests are placed on trees, and also on the ground. Its 
general habits are much like those of the preceding species, hut their mode of procuring food 
is quite different; they dart upon their prey from on wing, frequently immersing the whole 
body, hut immediately rising on wing, dart down again and again until hunger is allayed. 
According to Mr. Audubon, its ordinary food consists of fishes of rather a small size, not 
often taking any longer than its bill ; attached to specimen No. 9959 is a note by Mr. Cassidy, 
stating that he has seen a fish weighing 2^ pounds taken from the pouch of one of this species. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Wing. 
1960 
Florida_ 
S. F. Baird_ 
Q 
Gulf of Mexico_ 
Cab. of G. N. Lawrence. 
1023 
T. T Bruzon. 
20. 50 
.do. 
1024 
9959 
San Diego, Cal___ 
A. Cassidy__ 
4526 
O 
San Francisco, Cal__ 
Lt. Williamson_ 
Dr. Heermann_-_ 
21. 00 
9958 
3 
Bay of San Francisco, Cal_ 
_do___ 
Dr. Newberry_ 
22. 00 
